Tea Party
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. – Protesters at the Tax Day Tea Party Wednesday began their rally at the City Square and ended by throwing tea bags into the White River in a modern-day throwback to the Boston Tea Party.
Nathan Wainwright of Noblesville was joined by about 40 other protestors who rallied against what they called high government spending in Washington.
Tea Parties took place all over the country on Tax Day with thousands of protestors objecting to high taxes.
Wainwright is a former pastor who lost his job due to the economy. He said he is frustrated with actions of the current government.
“Politicians don’t seem to care one way or another,” Wainwright said.
Wainwright held a sign that read “Don’t Tread on Me,” similar to the historic Gadsden flag first used in Revolutionary times in protest to British rule. He said this slogan is still significant because it represented what the group was protesting for.
“We’re the American people, and we need to be heard,” Wainwright said.
Chet Watters, Cicero, said he protested out of concern over the trillions of dollars the Obama administration has already spent and fear of what future spending will be. He said citizens “need less taxes and no tax increases.”
Watters held a sign that read “Big Government” with a slash through it on one side and “No New Taxes” on the other side.
“I think it’s time we stand up as ‘We the People,’” Watters said.
Byron and Sherry Lehman came from Fishers, their hometown, for the Tea Party. They said they wanted to be part of the effort to communicate grievances to the government.
Byron Lehman said he believes there’s a real threat of bankruptcy nationwide due to government spending.
“[I would tell President Obama to] support the concept of fiscal responsibility,” he said.
Larry Alan, Carmel, heard about the Tea Party 45 minutes before it began, and he and his mother made the trip to Noblesville to participate.
Alan said that he saw government as a pendulum, with a swing representing spending and the back swing representing the repercussions of that spending. He said the stimulus package signed on Feb. 17 was government “overcompensation.”
Alan said he grew up with two parents involved with the military, and he was taught to say what he’d do and do what he said. That, he said, is his advice to Obama.
“[I would tell Obama to] choose your words and actions wisely,” he said.
Many of the protestors said they were worried about the future of the U.S. economically. Wainwright said he believed the country is at a crossroads with two possible fates.
“[We’ll either go in a] direction that helps us, or a direction that helps the politicians’ self-interests,” he said.
